Arabic: Lebanese Dialect

عصفور طل من الشباك

‘aṣfūr ṭall(i) mn-iš-šibbāk

“A bird appeared at the window”

مارسيل خليفة

 

 

• عصفور طل من الشباك وقال لي يا نو نو

‘aṣfūr ṭall(i) mn-iš-šibbāk u-’alli: “ya nū-nū!”

A bird appeared from the window and said to me: “Oh, my dear!”

’alli = qāl li (ā is shortened)

u = wa

nū-nū = term of endearment

 

• خبيني عندك…خبيني دخلك يا نو نو

“khabbīni‘andik, khabbīni dakhlik, ya nūnū!”

“Hide me close to you, hide me, I beg you, oh my dear!”

dakhlik = short form of dakhīl (“guest, one who seeks refuge, new person to a tribe, convert”) = I beg you

 

• قلت له إنت من وين قال لي من حدود السماء 

’ilt-illo: “Anta min wayn?” ’alli: „min (i)ḥdūd is-sama“

I said to him: “Where are you from?” He said to me: “From the borders of the sky.”

’ilt-illo = note the extra “-il-” (it’s not “’ilt-lo”)

wayn = doesn’t become “wēn“ in Lebanese

 

• قلت له جاي من وين قال لي من بيت الجيران 

’ilt-illo: “žāyi min wayn?” ’alli: „min bayt iž-žirān.”

I said to him: „Where have you come from?“ He said to me: “From the neighbour’s house.”

 

• قلت له خايف من مين قال لي من القفص هربان 

’ilt-illo: “Khāyif min mīn?” ’alli: „mn il-’afaṣ harbān.“

I said to him: „Who are you afraid of?“ – He said to me: “I’ve escaped from the cage.”

 

• قلتله ريشاتك وين قلي فرفطها الزمان

’ilt-illo: “Rīšātak wayn?” ’alli: „farfaṭha iz-zamān.“

I asked him: „Where are your feathers?“ – He said to me “Time has shredded them.”

 

• نزلت ع خده دمعة وجناحاته متكية 

u-nizlit ‘akhaddu dama‘a u-žnāḥātu mitkiyyi

A tear fell on his cheek, his wings tucked up.

nizlit = nazalat

– While in a lot of dialects the 3. person feminine takes an “a” (like katbat) Lebanese takes an “i” (katbit).

– The second a that exists in Fusha is deleted (katbat instead of katabat)

– Intransitive verbs (verbs that don’t take an object) are often of the pattern fi3il

متكية = tucked in

 

• واتهدى بالأرض وقال بدي أمشي وما فييّ

u-tthada bi-l-arḍ u-’āl: „Beddi imši u-ma fiyyi.“

He almost fell on the ground and said: “I want to walk, but I can’t.”

beddi = أريد

imši = amši

Note: In Lebanese and Syrian Arabic the first person singular takes an “i” in the beginning, not an „a“ (imši and not amši)

fiyyi / fīni = I can

 

• وضميته على قلبي وصار يتوجع على جروحاته 

u ḍummayto ‘a ’albi u-ṣār yitwažža‘‘ala žrūḥāto

I embraced him with all my heart and he began to feel the pain of his wounds.

ḍummayt = ḍamamtu (dammēt in Syrian or Palestinian)

ṣār = to begin

 

• قبل ما يكسر الحبس تكسر صوته وجناحاته

’abl ma yikassir il-ḥabs (i)tkassar ṣauto u-žnāḥāto.

Before he breaks the prison, broke his voice and his wings.

 

• قلتله لا تخاف إتطلع شوف الشمس اللي رح تطلع

’ilt-illo: „la tkhāf, iṭṭalla‘ šūf iš-šams illi raḥ(a) tiṭla‘

I said to him: „Don’t be scared, look at the sun that is going to rise.“

 

• وتطلع على الغابة وشاف أمواج الحرية بتلمع

u-ṭṭalla‘‘a l-ghābi u-šāf amwāž il-ḥurriyyi btilma‘

And he looked at the forest and saw waves of freedom sparkle.

 

• شاف جوانح عم بترفرف (بتزقزق) من خلف بواب العلية

šāf (i)žwāniḥ ‘am bitza’zi’ min khalf (i)bwāb il-‘aliyyi.

He saw wings fluttering from behind the door of the attic.

 

• شاف الغابة عم بتحلق على جوانح الحرية

šāf il-ghābi ‘am bitḥalli’‘ala žwāniḥ il-ḥurriyi

He saw the forest flying on the wings of freedom.